Gorkss finally, finally joins QPR as Nardiello and Rehman head north
Thursday, 31st Jul 2008 18:42

The Kaspars Gorkss transfer saga that has dragged on throughout the summer has finally come to an end today with the Latvian centre half signing for QPR for £250k from Blackpool. Daniel Nardiello and Zesh Rehman move the other way in part exchange.

Gorkss told the club's official website: "This is a very ambitious club and as a player you always want to play for a club with ambition. I believe we have a great chance of achieving a lot this coming season.

"I spoke with Iain Dowie and he is very excited about the new campaign. My dream is to play in the Premiership and I believe I can do that with QPR - that's one of the main reasons I came here."

Gorkss came on as a second half substitute at Kilmarnock on Tuesday after being given special permission by Blackpool to play and he completed his £250k move to Loftus Road today. The Latvian, who has 17 caps for his country, has signed a three year deal with QPR and is expected to start alongside Fitz Hall at the heart of the QPR defence against Chievo and Barnsley next week.

It’s a welcome boost for QPR just ten days before the start of the season after a largely frustrating summer on the transfer front. With Matt Connolly struggling with injury and Damion Stewart suspended for the first match after his sending off at Norwich last season Gorkss is likely to be thrown in at the deep end during the coming week.

Gorkss signed for Blackpool, then in League One, 18 months ago and has become a firm favourite at Bloomfield Road in his time there. He scored eight goals for his club and two for his country last season from centre half and was rewarded with a supporters' club player of the year award in May.

One of his goals came at Loftus Road against Rangers in Pool’s 3-2 defeat back in March and he certainly caught the eye in both games against the Super Hoops last season with his strong, no nonsense approach to defending.

With a £250k release clause in his contract QPR moved quickly to try and snap him up once the transfer window opened but things turned sour when Blackpool reported QPR to the Football League for making an illegal approach to the player.

A deadlock appeared to have been reached when Pool Chairman Karl Oyston said he would do everything in his power to stop the player moving to QPR and Gorkss struggling to reach a settlement with the Seasiders over the remainder of his contract.

The R’s tried to smooth the choppy waters by offering a number of players in exchange. Consequently we today bid farewell to Daniel Nardiello after just 12 months and eight appearances at QPR and Zesh Rehman who has endured a difficult two years at Loftus Road. Nardiello has signed a two year deal with Blackpool with an option for a 12 month extension on top of that while Rehman has moved initially on loan for six months with an option to make the deal permanent at the end of that spell.

Nardiello signed for QPR from Barnsley on a free transfer last summer after having an eleventh hour change of heart, literally turning his car around on the motorway, and rejecting Barnsley’s offer of a new contract. After scoring six goals in his last eight matches in the 2006/07 season hopes were high that he could reproduce that form in the capital but he was in and out of a very poor side under John Gregory and Mick Harford and struggled to get a real run of solid performances together.

Luigi De Canio hardly used him at all and he returned to Barnsley on loan after Christmas, winning man of the match plaudits and scoring a goal on his return to Oakwell against West Brom. He failed to impress in a subsequent eight appearances though and Barnsley decided against making the arrangement permanent at the end of the season. He will join Steve Kabba in a new look Blackpool attack this season after reaching an agreement with QPR on the remainder of his contract.

Rehman was bought by Gary Waddock for £250k from Fulham in the summer of 2006 as a replacement for Danny Shittu. He started brightly enough but suffered a loss of form as the team struggled, a nightmare performance in a 3-3 draw at home to Norwich still brings me out in a cold sweat, and he became a target for the infamous Loftus Road boo boys. His chances didn't improve much under John Gregory who first loaned him out to Brighton and then played him out of position at right back where the calamities just kept on coming. A move back to centre half and the appointment of Luigi De Canio as manager brought an improved run of form from the Pakistan international skipper towards the end of last season but QPR fans have long memories and it's probably best for all concerned that a clean break and a fresh start is made.

QPR manager Iain Dowie told the club's official website: "Kaspars knows we intend to play good attractive football and he wants to be part of it. We've signed an international defender who has a great physical presence, good pace and is comfortable on the ball. He's an ambitious lad who wants to take his game forward.

"We've got very good value for money with this deal oweing to a certain figure that was in his contract, so we are delighted with that. His presence adds great competition for places across the back line and that's what I'm after."

Blackpool manager Simon Grayson told the Blackpool Gazette: "As part of the deal we will be getting a couple of players in Zesh Rehman and Daniel Nardiello and money on top of that and it's nice it's been resolved. We've got two players who we think will benefit the football club and we wish Kaspars well because he was a good servant for the football club. But you have to move on in football and I'm glad to have the two players on board that we've signed."

Kaspars Gorkss timeline

May 30 - Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston laments the fact that defender Kaspars Gorkss has a very low release fee in his contract. Pool are facing the prospect of losing the Latvian and star midfielder Wes Hoolahan on the cheap this summer. Details

June 12 - QPR announce on their official website that they have made an offer for Gorkss that meets the release clause amount in his contract. Details

June 17 - Blackpool deny any such bid has been made and say they are reporting QPR to the league over the affair. Manager Simon Grayson says he was disappointed to read about the Gorkss sale in the newspapers before he knew anything about it himself. Details

June 27 - Blackpool Chairman Karl Oyston tells the BBC he is furious over QPR conduct in the Gorkss transfer saying it is the worst he has known in all his time in football. He promises to do everything in his power to stop Gorkss moving to Loftus Road this summer. Details

July 5 - Progress appears to be being made as QPR announce on the official website that they have been given permission by Blackpool to speak with Gorkss. Blackpool quickly deny this and reiterate their disappointment with QPR’s conduct. The stand off continues. Details

July 9 - Oyston orders Gorkss to return to Blackpool and commence pre-season training with the Tangerines. A proposed compromise from QPR involving Adam Bolder and Daniel Nardiello in exchange appears to have stalled. Details

July 16 - A deal appears further away than ever despite Gorkss travelling to Bath with QPR for pre-season training. The most likely makeweight in the deal Daniel Nardiello appears to be staying and Iain Dowie tips him for a future at QPR after all. Details

July 23 - Nardiello is left out of the first team friendly at Northampton and instead turns out for the reserves at Windsor and Eton. Rangers win narrowly but Nardiello plays poorly and afterwards admits that his time at the club is coming to an end. Only negotiations between him and QPR over a settlement fee stand between him and a move to Bloomfield Road. Details

July 29 - Gorkss is an eleventh hour addition to QPR’s squad for the friendly at Kilmarnock after the club got special permission from Blackpool to play him. The club says it expects a deal to be completed the following day. Details

July 29 - Gorkss makes his QPR debut as a second half substitute at Rugby Park and almost scores but the R’s are beaten 1-0. Details